Indianapolis vs. Boston (Bloomington, Lawrence, Carmel: low income, transplants, neighborhood)

[dave.dawsn]

I agree with Chalcedony. The cost of living should really be your deciding factor.

Think of it as a difference between a VW Jetta and an Audi A4. The Audi is higher end - more luxurious interior, more finely tuned handling, the prestige of the name, etc.

The Jetta is still nice though (I'm using mine as a point of reference). It has leather seats, nice wheels, a six speed transmission, and a good sound system. Any of those things may seem inferior when compared to the Audi on an individual basis, but overall they are still quality. And, by comparison, the Jetta is much less expensive.

If you have the money, anyone will say to go with the Audi, but if you want to come close (instead than buying a Chevy Cavalier or something), get the Jetta.

Indianapolis is a fun city with a lot to offer, but it doesn't have the historical refinement and deep roots of Boston. People on this thread have talked about the "NE experience." There is no "Midwest experience" (not a desirable one anyway...). I look at Indy as an oasis within a vast desert of backwater country. (I'm not flaming the small-town midwest, it's just not my scene). Boston, on the other hand, is the north end of a huge megalopolis that starts in DC.

Basically this all gets back to cost. If you have the means and/or desire to pony up the requisite dough for Boston, go for it. However, if you want to live large instead of average, or if you want to experience city life when you maybe otherwise couldn't, Indianapolis is for you.

Note: this is a comparison of city to city, not suburbs. If you're going to live in the suburbs, live in Indy because it's so inexpensive and suburbs are the same everywhere. If you are planning to live in the city, the analogy applies.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by dave.dawsn

There is no "Midwest experience" (not a desirable one anyway...). I look at Indy as an oasis within a vast desert of backwater country. (I'm not flaming the small-town midwest, it's just not my scene).

Uh, yeah, no flaming detected.

[Dachsund's Friend]

As the OP, I am shocked to hear so many people recommending Boston! I thought for sure people would touch on how important it is to be close to family or to take advantage of the lower cost of living in Indy and simply visit Boston. Both of which are good reasons to move to Indianapolis! But yes, we are considering Boston because 1) it is different than anywhere we've ever lived and 2) we think we can afford to live there pretty decently. There is still a huge pull to the familiarity and comfort of our friends & family in the Midwest but I appreciate so many thoughtful responses as to the benefits of trying another new place. We're looking at job opportunities in both locations right now.

[Bluefox]

I have never been to Boston but I've been to Indy several times. It is a great city with a lot to offer, but it's a much younger and developing area with not as much history/culture as Boston. I guess it really depends on what your expectations are, but what I like about Indy is that it is easy to get around in with a car, has all the amenities of a large city (ex decent public transportation) and is close to great cities like Chicago, Columbus, Nashville, etc. It'd be helpful to know if you are planning to live in the cities or suburbs as well. Indy has some of the best suburban communities in the nation, centered mostly in Hamilton County. Boston does as well but you'll be paying much less for an exemplary standard of living in Indy.

Also, try posting in the City v. City subforum at the bottom of the states lists. There are many knowledgeable posters who may be able to provide helpful info.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by Bluefoxwarrior

Also, try posting in the City v. City subforum at the bottom of the states lists. There are many knowledgeable posters who may be able to provide helpful info.

The City v. City sub-forum is a joke. No useful info can be gleaned from that forum.

[jad79]

I grew up in the Indianapolis and went to college in Indiana, but moved to Boston after college 10 years ago. I don't think the cities could be much more different in many ways, my wife and I often discuss how Boston is more similar to cities abroad then to Indianapolis. That said, I could be happy in either.

We chose to stay in Boston despite the cost of living and difficulty being apart from family for few big reasons.

1. We like an urban environment with walkable neighborhoods. If we preferred a rural environment or typical car-centered suburbs we would move back in a second...you can find nice burbs in Indy with good schools for a fraction of the price and be near family. However all of the places we have lived in Boston, there is literally nothing similar in Indianapolis. We lived in Cambridge, the Back Bay and Jamaica Plain...all thriving neighborhoods where we had a market within one block of us plus dozens or hundreds of independent cafes, bookstores, restaurants, pubs, subway stops, etc. within walking distance. I walked to work through historic streets and the Boston Common. There are a few blocks of this in Broad Ripple, but nothing on the scale of Boston where 100,000 20-40 year old educated people from around world live within 1-2 miles of you.

We now have kids and live in an inner ring suburb with walkable neighborhoods historic homes. There are dozens of similar towns in the Boston area. In 10 minutes we can WALK to great schools, a 2500 acre park, a dozen independent restaurants, bookstores, toy stores, a museum, grocery store, commuter rail station where we can be downtown in < 20 minutes, etc. No such suburb exists in Indy (maybe a small section of Zionsville or the newer faux downtown development in Carmel are closest).

2. Much better day-trips / vacation opportunities. This is a huge plus that is rarely mentioned. In 2 hours, I can be on Cape Cod, Boston Harbor Islands, the coast of Maine, the Berkshires, the Green Mountains in VT, White Mountains in New Hampshire, Newport RI, etc. In 30-40 minutes I can be to dozens of great parks and beaches like Cape Ann, Blue Hills, Concord MA, etc. If you like to ski, hike or sit on the beach, it's really tough to beat.

3. Culture and people. Indiana is the land of chain restaurants and stip malls, though I admit there are a lot of small ethnic places tucked into the strip malls if you know where to look. Far fewer people have traveled the world and have an open mind. The universities in Boston draw interesting people from around the world and many stay, we love the diversity of thoughts and ideas they bring.

That said, we still consider moving back to Indy but I doubt we do. Here are the primary reasons.

1. Family, once had kids this became even more important. Sick days are tough and it would be great for the kids to know cousins, aunts, grandparents more.

2. Cost of living, people have touched on this but it's obviously night and day. Although I don't really find taxes higher in MA. Income tax is similar - MA is 5.25%, sales tax lower in MA (plus no sales tax on clothing or food), real estate taxes about 1% of property value per year.

3. Many family activities are easier in Indy, not just cheaper. I love sports, but getting a family of 4 to a Sox, Bruins, Celtics or Pats game is prohibitively expensive and difficult. Even when the Colts are hot, tickets can still be found for a reasonable price and getting in and out of a game is a breeze compared to Foxboro.

I would recommend a year in Boston, you can always move to Indy later. However, I would only do so if you can live in a walkable area with good transit. If you are going to live in a sprawling burb with only auto access - you'll feel like you are in Indy, it will just cost twice as much and traffic will be worse. I would also consider Chicago, which has most of the benefits of Boston but only 3 hour drive from Indy as opposed to 16 hour drive or 2.5 hour and $500 flight.

Good luck.

[jad79]

By the way, I just noticed an earlier post of yours where you mentioned you are in high tech and "We value things like sustainable farming, conserving nature, adopting pets, recycling, local & organic food, public transportation".

For high tech, Boston wins, not even close as I'm sure you're aware if you've looked into the local job markets at all.

Also, the things you value seem to match the Boston area perfectly. We have lived within a few blocks of a nice farmers market in each of our four neighborhoods, great city recycling programs, dozens of local farms within 30 miles of Boston that focus on direct to consumer food (as opposed to vast majority of Indiana farms that focus on mass amounts or corn or soy for industry). Here is one partial list of Pick your own farms in the area, many have picnic areas, live music on weekends, hay rides, etc: Where to find pick-your-own (u-pick) farms in Boston and surrounding counties in Massachusetts

Indy has a fraction of what is available in Boston area despite being in the farm belt: Where to find pick your own farms and orchards in central Indiana for fruit, vegetables, pumpkins and Christmas trees.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by jad79

3. Culture and people. Indiana is the land of chain restaurants and stip malls, though I admit there are a lot of small ethnic places tucked into the strip malls if you know where to look. Far fewer people have traveled the world and have an open mind. The universities in Boston draw interesting people from around the world and many stay, we love the diversity of thoughts and ideas they bring.

Take a drive out to Bedford, Mass. Based on your description, you will feel like you are back in the midwest.

I have news for you, not everyone in Indiana is an uncultered swine; just like not everyone in Mass is a wine sipping urban progressive.

[Dachsund's Friend]

Jad79, what you've said about Boston is exactly why we are considering it. You make some good points and it is refreshing to hear that our expectations are on target.

One of my main concerns is the friendliness of the people. Have you been able to make good, lasting friendships. Not just people to hang out with, but people you could call on if you needed help or were going through a hard time. When you live far from family, those type of friends can be even more important. Just wondering if that comes easily in the Boston area.

[jad79]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

Take a drive out to Bedford, Mass. Based on your description, you will feel like you are back in the midwest.

I have news for you, not everyone in Indiana is an uncultered swine; just like not everyone in Mass is a wine sipping urban progressive.

Yes, I'm aware of both of those facts. Like I said, I could be happy in Indy and would consider moving back but there are real cultural differences between the two that impact the feel of the area and types of people you are most likely to encounter.